Prier.



THOMAS MILTON FORINGER, OF CLIFFSIDE PARK, NEW JERSEY.

PRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application filed February 18, 1916. Serial No. 79,044.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS M11/ron FOR- INGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cliside Park, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Prier, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The invention relates to repair tools for tires, hose and other similar articles, and its object is to provide a new and improved prier which is simple and durable in construction and arranged for convenient insertion into a cut or opening and for automatically forcing the latter open and holding it open under a desired tension to facilitate the process of repairing.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of spring-actuated side arms normally diverging and terminating in converging portions standing at an angle to the plane x)of the side arms, the said converging portions terminating in diverging prongs standing at an angle to the plane of the converging portions. Use is also made of manually controlled means engaging the side arms for closing the same for entering purposes, for releasing the side arms to a' degree and for holding the side arms locked in the adjusted position.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, 1n which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the prier as applied; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the prier fully open; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same in closed position; Fig. 4 is .a front end view of the same in open position; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a face view of a modified form of the controlling member.

The prieris formed from a. single piece of spring wire bent at its middle to form a spring coil 10 and side arms 11 normally standing in diverging relation relatively to each other by the tension of the coil, spring 10. The side arms 11 terminate in converging portions v12, bent at acute angles to the plane of the side arms 11, and the said portions 12 terminate in diverging or outwardly bent prongs 13 standing at acute angles to the plane of the converging portions 12 by being bent further in the direction in which the said converging portions are bent. In practice, the prongs 13 stand at an angle of about 450 to the plane of the side arms 11, but one of the prongs is bent slightly more than the other so that the vprongs can readily overlap when the'parts are in completely closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. The prongs 13 are provided at the outer sides of their ends with small barbs 14.

On the side arms l1 is mounted to slide a closing, releasing and gaging member 15,

which may be made in the form of a plate as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, or made of a piece of wire as illustrated in Fig. 7. l'

If made in the form of a plate, the ends of the member 15 are provided with apertures 16 through which extend the side arms 11, and if the member 15 is made of a piece of wire then the latter is bent to provide w eyes 17 for-'the passage of the side arms 11. The apertures 16 of the eyes 17 are spaced a distance apart so that the side arms can open fully at the time the member 15 is in the position adjacent the coil spring 10, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. `When the operator pushes the member 15 forward on the side arms 11 then the latter are gradually closed, that is, moved toward each other,

and when the member l5 reaches its outermost position, as shown in Fig. 3, then the prongs 13 overlie each other to allow of readily forcing the same into the cut or opening to be treated.

After the prongs 13 have been inserted into a cut or opening of a tire or other article 18, as shown in Fig. 1, the operator moves the member 15 rearwardly to allow the side arms 11 to open gradually and in doing so the prongs 12 move apart within v Y the opening until they reach the end walls of the opening and exert an outward pressure against the same, thus holding the opening open for the introduction of repair cement, plugs or other repairing means.

from tearing the tire or hose material and making the opening larger.

The operating member 15 is preferably curved, as shown, to overlie the coil 10 at the time the said member is in rearmost position, thus allowing the side arms 11 to sp-rgad out to the full extent. The curvature in the member 15 also prevents the latter from being forced beyond the ends of the side arms 11 at the time said member is moved into outermost position owing to the fact that the curved portion abuts against the portion 12, as indicated in Fig. 3.

it is understood that when the operating member 15 is in outermost position, the prongs 13 overlap thus offering the least resistance in engaging'the prongs with the cut or opening in the tire o r hose material. It will further be noticed that after the prongs are inserted and the member 15 is moved rearwardly and the side arms spread apart then the outwardly curved prongs 13 hold the tool against being forced out by the contracting pressure exerted by the material engaged. In a like manner the prier is not liable to be pushed farther inward owing to the angular portions 12.

.A further feature of the prier when closed (see Fig. 3) is its adaptability for use as a scraper or a cleaner to remove small stones, sand or other rough accumulation usually found in cuts or openings to be operated upon. ith this use in mind the member 15 is made suiliciently large to serve as a shield or obstructionv for the operators thumb, enabling him to secure a firm hold upon the prier when inserting the same into a resistant material. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the downward angle of vthe prongs 13 is designed so that the coil end clears the material operated upon at an approximate angle of -1-50, and the inward bent portions 12 are proportioned relatively to the member 15 so that the side arms 11 are well clear of the cut or opening and the member 15 is held in locked position on the notches 19. The importance of these features of clearance and non-interference are obvious. when it is considered that the cuts to be operated upon frequently appear very close together and at various angles and a prier has to remain in each cut during the entire repairing procedure.

The following brief description of the process of repairs which-the prier is particularly designed to facilitate seems necessary for arclearer comprehension of the variois features and advantages claimed for it: First, the cut is cleared of all rough accumulation bv the use of the closed prongs 153, as previously explained; second, all grease and oil should be removed with gasoloto ^r a similar solvent. which must be vg'feii time to evaporate before applying a thin coat of rubber cement, which, kin turn,

arms, the said converging portions terminating in diverging prongs standing atan angle to the plane of the converging portions, and an operating member engaging the side arms to close the same, the said prongs being arranged to overlapwhen the operating member is in outermost position and the parts are completely closed.

2. A prier of the type described, comprising spring-actuated side arms normally diverging and terminating in converging portions at an angle to the plane of the side arms, the said converging portions termil nating in divergiiig prongs standing at an angle to the plane of the converging portions, and a manually controlled member mounted to slide on the said side arms for closing the same for entering purposes, for releasing the side arms to a desired degree, and for holding the side arms locked in the usted position, the said member abutting vagainst the converging portions ofsaid side arms whenin its outermost or closing position. v

3. A prier of the type described, comprising a spring coil and side arms extending from the ends of the coil and normally held diverging from each other by the tension 'of the spring coil, the side arms terminating in converging portions at an angle tothe plane of the side arms, the said converging portions terminating in diverging prongs standing at an angle to the plane of the converging portions, the said side arms being each provided with notches arranged one alongside the other in the direction of the length of the side arms, `and a curved closing, releasing and locking member slidable on the said side arms and adapted to engage correspending notches on the side arms to hold i the side arms positively locked in the adjusted position, the. said Vcurved member ywhen in rearmost position overlying the coil to permit the side arms to spread out to the full extent and when in its outermost or closing Vposition abutting against` the conarms, the said converging portions terminating in diverging prongs standing at an angle to the plane of the converging portions, the angle of one prong being slightly more than that of the other prong to allow the prongs to overlap on closing the side arms.

5. A prier of the type described comprising spring-actuated side arms normally diverging and terminating in converging portions at an angle to the plane of the side arms, the said converging portions terminating in diverging prongs standing at an angle to the plane of the converging portions, the angle of one prong being slightly greater than the angle of the other prong and the prongs overlapping when the side arms are completely closed,the` outer ends of the prongs being provided at their outer sides with barbs.

6. In a prier, the combination of a single spring coil, arms continued back along and divergently beyond said coil, the divergent side arms, converging inward at their outer ends, the converging portions extending 5 downward and terminating in downwardly extending and outwardly curved prongs, an operating member curving backward embracing said arms and functioning along same between the coil and shoulders formed by the converging portions of the arms, to release, gage and lock the prier according as positioned.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS MILTON FORINGER.

V'Vitnesses THEO. G. HosTER, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D C. 

